A study reveals the difficulties of global coordination amid diverse national strategies and highlights the challenge of balancing ecosystem protection with the blue economy.

Fourteen researchers working from twelve European countries have analysed how twenty-two EU countries have implemented the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, adopted by the EU in 2014. Although the Directive has helped many member states develop maritime spatial plans, the sheer diversity of them and their approaches gave rise to challenges in the process.

The research, published in Marine Policy, points out that the Directive provides a common framework that allows each country to design plans in line with their own traditions and administrative structures, national and regional. However, this has led to plans with different objectives that are often difficult to reconcile withing the country, at the sea basin level and with non-EU neighbours. As Leila Neimane, one of the authors of the study, indicates: “This diversity [in national approaches] reflects local needs and traditions, while it has also created coordination problems”.

Apart from reviewing those twenty-two countries’ plans, the researchers surveyed EU competent maritime spatial planning authorities, including maritime spatial planners, to find out what the most recent and common challenges are. One of them is how to keep a balance between environmental conservation and the development of the blue economy (the economic activities associated with the ocean, seas, and coastal regions).

Related to this, the researchers highlight the importance of keeping the adaptative approach as the energy crisis and climate change make countries more aware of offshore renewable energies’ capabilities. Researcher Neimane indicates that adaptation “will be very important because we will face new energy and climate-related pressures in the coming years”.

According to her, “equally important is to assess the social and societal benefits and costs”. Although the Directive requires to consider and to balance economic, environmental, and social needs, ensuring fair representation remains a challenge. Moreover, the analysis notices that some concepts like social sustainability and cultural values can be abstract and difficult to translate into planning policies.

Regarding coherence and other recent challenges of maritime spatial planning, the research shows that there are some aspects that might improve the current situation. For example, the availability of full plans in a common language and data sharing would favour participation and learning from other countries’ processes.

Altogether, the study shows that the implementation of the EU Maritime Spatial Planning Directive has helped countries to create and/or further develop plans that are already pointing out what to improve and will be the basis for future adjustments.

You can check out each country’s plans at the European Maritime Spatial Plan Platform web page.